The Suunto 7 is the latest Wear OS smartwatch to join the list of smartwatches powered by the Snapdragon 3100 chip. It’s also the first to feature the 3100 sport mode announced 6 months ago by Qualcomm. The Suunto 7 is an outstanding smartwatch in both design and features, so also is the Fossil gen 5 released a few months ago. In this comparison chart, we compare the Suunto 7 vs Fossil Gen 5 specs and features – which is better? Let’s find out.
Suunto 7 vs Fossil Gen 5 Specifications Compared
| Suunto 7 | Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
ABOUT DEVICE | ||
| Device name | Suunto 7 | Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle |
| Device type | Fitness/GPS smartwatch | Classic/Fitness smartwatch |
| Predessesor | Suunto 5 | Fossil Gen 4 Q Explorist |
| Successor | _ | Fossil Gen 6 |
| Released date | January, 2020 | August, 2019 |
| Ideal for | Men | Men |
DISPLAY | ||
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED (Always-on) |
| Display size | 1.39inch | 1.28 inch |
| Display resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 416 x 416 pixels |
| Pixel density | 326 ppi | 326 PPI |
| Input type | Touchscreen 4 buttons | Touchscreen plus 3 physical buttons |
| Always-on | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes |
BODY | ||
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Dimension | 50 x 24 x 15.3 mm | 44 x 44 x 12 mm |
| Weight | 70 grams | N/A |
| Casing material | Glass fibre reinforced polyamide | Stainless steel |
| Strap/band material | Silicone | Stainless steel |
| Bezel Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Strap size | 24 mm 130-230 mm (Lenght) | 22mm |
| Interchangeable band | Yes, 24mm | Yes, 22mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla glass |
| Water resistant/Protection | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 3ATM |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes |
| Color(s) | Black/lime Graphite/copper White/Burgundy Rosegold | Black silicone/steel Dark Brown/black steel Smoke stainless steel |
MEMORY | ||
| RAM | Unknown | 1GB |
| Internal storage | 8GB | 8GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
CONNECTIVITY | ||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.2 LE | Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE |
| Bluetooth calling | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Payment system | Google Pay | Google pay |
| GPS | GPS/GLONASS/QZSS/BEIDOU | Yes |
CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY | ||
| Technology | No | No |
| SIM | No | No |
| Band | No | No |
NOTIFICATIONS | ||
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps | Yes | Yes |
| Text response | Yes | Yes |
FITNESS TRACKING | ||
| Sleep apnea | No | No |
| Sleep tracking | No | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | No | Yes |
| VO2 Max. | No | Yes |
| Blood oxygen | No | No |
| Blood pressure | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | No | No |
| Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Under-water heart rate tracking | Yes | No |
| Preloaded maps | Yes | No |
| On-screen workout modes | No | No |
| Triathlon mode | No | __ |
| ECG Tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes |
| Safety tracking | No | No |
MEDIA | ||
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Music streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | No | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
SENSORS | ||
PLATFORM | ||
| Operating system (OS) | Wear OS | Wear OS |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 3100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 |
| CPU | Unknown | 1.2 GHz Quad-core 4x ARM Cortex A7 |
| GPU | -- | Qualcomm Adreno 304 GPU |
BATTERY | ||
| Type of battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | Unknown | 310mAh |
| Battery life | Standby: 40 days Regular: 2 Days GPS tracking: 12 hrs | Standby: 3 days+ Mixed usage: 1 day+ |
| Charging type | USB cradle | Inductive charging magnet |
| Charging time | About 1-2 hours | About 1-2 hours |
| Battery saver mode | Yes | Yes |
| Solar power | No | No |
| Rapid charging | _ | Yes |
CLOCK FEATURES | ||
| Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS | ||
| Control camera | Yes | Yes |
| Music control | Yes | Yes |
| Find phone | Yes | Yes |
MISC | ||
| Compatibility | Android and iOS. Check if your device is compatible | Android 6.0 (excluding Go edition)+ iOS 10.0+ |
| Companion app | Suunto App | Fossil Q app |
| Voice command | Yes, Google Assistant | Yes |
BOX CONTENTS | ||
| Suunto 7 | Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle | |
| 2 Straps | Straps | |
| USB cradle | Inductive charging magnet | |
| Quick start guide | Quick start guide | |
| NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error. | ||
| Official Site | Official Site | |
Suunto 7 vs Fossil Gen 5 Features Compared
- Design
- Media
- Fitness Tracking
- Battery Life
Both the Suunto 7 and the Gen 5 come in an outstanding design that’s sturdy and stylish. Although, the Gen 5 is a more compact device, it’s also slimmer which makes it sleeker and leaves it with a more stylish and classier appearance than the Suunto 7.
However, the 1.4-inch display of the Suunto 7 is slightly larger than that of the Gen 5 which will allow you to see more at a glance.
Beyond that, both the Suunto 7 and Gen 5 have got really outstanding designs.
Each of these two, the Suunto 7 and the Gen 5 is equipped with 8GB onboard storage capacity, as well as a microphone that comes handy in performing certain tasks simply with your voice via Google Assistant.
However, the Suunto 7 lacks a loudspeaker which is present in Gen 5. As a result, you can make calls directly from Gen 5 via Bluetooth calling and as well play media files aloud and also allows you to hear voice commands aloud.
Each of these two is fitness-focused, but going by the fitness tracking features present in each of these two, the Suunto 7 is clearly a better activity tracker than the Gen 5. Though a Wear smartwatch, the Suunto 7 comes with 70 preloaded sport modes that are accompanied by the intuitive Suunto App, this is far more preloaded sport modes than you get with the Gen 5.
Moreover, the Suunto 7 comes with preloaded color maps that allow you to find the best possible routes to follow, unlike Gen 5, though with inbuilt GPS, but lacks these features.
The battery life of these two is quite impressive when compared to older Wear OS smartwatches thanks to the 3100 chip. Each of these two will keep you going for a day or more. However, the Suunto 7 being the first Wear OS smartwatch to feature the much talked about 3100 chip sport mode will keep you going longer than the Gen 5 when activity tracking is active.
This is because, with activity tracking active, the 3100 chip iconic co-processor takes care of these process thereby reducing the burden on the battery and elongating battery life significantly.
Which is Better?
No doubt, each of these two is a great smartwatch; sturdy and stylish design, fitness-focused with lots of features which includes Google pay, voice assistant, onboard music storage and more.
However, the cheaper Gen 5 is a more stylish smartwatch, and a better choice if you’re after more features.
On the other hand, the Suunto 7 being a more fitness-focused smartwatch with a significantly longer battery life is a better smartwatch if you’re enthusiastic and serious about taking your fitness goals to the next level.
Our Pick
I go with the Suunto 7, the shock and dirt resistant tested design is stunning, it’s also a comprehensive fitness tracker and the battery life is quite impressive.
Prices
[content-egg module=AE__amazoncom]
Hi! I’m Jude, the chief editor at Smartwatchseries.com
I’m a graduate of biochemistry, a 3D artist and a passionate fitness enthusiast. On here, I and other smartwatch fans work hard to help you find the right smartwatch for you with our guides, reviews, and comparisons.
Our aim is to become better at providing useful content, please let us know via the contact us form if there is any way we can improve.